The Art of Memory

(Mnemonic glyphs from Giordano Bruno’s Ars Memoriae (The Art of Memory) 1582)

Back through the mists of time, we suddenly find ourselves 500 years B.C. in ancient Greece where philosophy and wisdom first took root. This impressive society is also the first to form the concept of civilization and culture, and first to form a nation. Here the first trappings of science can be found.

South lies Athens where wise thinkers spend their time contemplating the nature of the universe. Their thoughts are kindled by what they can see. There is so little light pollution that the stars and the milky way shine bright in the sky. The delicate embroidery of the stars can be seen in humbling detail. Constellations jump out at the awestruck stargazers.

Across the street a man stands at the entrance to the banqueting hall, clearly enjoying the crisp night time air, speaking with a messenger, taking a break from the festivities inside. You recognize the man as Simonides, famous poet, but you do not recognize the messenger who is a stranger to the city. With terrifying suddenness thunder echoes through the streets. Disaster strikes, and the building behind Simonides collapses. A stunned silence permeates the streets as those few who happened to be close by pause and watch, helpless in those moments of incomprehension. Simonides himself stands aghast at the sight of the collapsed hall. He had been inside it only moments ago.

People rush to the scene, and pull the rubble from the collapsed building. They struggle through the night searching for survivors but to no avail. The diners lie crushed under the rubble, unrecognizable. Simonides is the only person to survive the banquet.

Now all that remains to be done is to offer the unfortunate diners proper funeral rites, but this presents a problem. Each is crushed beyond recognition and yet no family wishes to perform the rites for a stranger. If they cannot recognize their loved ones, then no rites can take place. Why should such expensive rites be for the benefit a stranger?

Simonides finds that by mentally imagining the banquet hall the way it was, and taking a walk around this imagined scene in his head, he is able to remember perfectly the position of each of them. Astounded by his own feat of memory, and wondering if he could employ it in other uses, Simonides tries to understand the techniques behind it. In doing so, the ancient and fascinating art of mnemonics is born. What happened next is best told by Cicero;